Friday, November 11, 2011

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim Responds To A Hostile Christian

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy

THE SINS OF THE NATIONS IS NEITHER A CENSURE AGAINST THE MESSENGERS NOR AGAINST THEIR MESSAGE

THE QUESTIONER (A CHRISTIAN) SAID: Have we not seen much evil in your religion, (i.e. Muslims), such as adultery, sodomy, treachery, envy, miserliness, deception, haughtiness, pride, arrogance, impiety, lack of certainty, mercilessness, lack of good character, fanaticism, restlessness, greed for the worldly life and laziness in performing good deeds from one who possesses much knowledge and understanding in your Religion. This state of affairs belies what is stated of speech (regarding piety etc).

The Answer To The Above Is:

Firstly, what has the noble Messengers to do with the sins of their nations and followers; and should that be a censure against anything in their Prophet-hood or an alteration of their message?! Is there (anyone) who is safeguarded from all types of sins besides the Messengers?! And is it permissible to reject their Message and belie them due to the sins of some of their followers?! Can this (statement) be except from one who is most sinful?! The situation of this person (who makes such as statement) is similar to that of sick man whom a doctor advice towards the means by which he may attain very good health, so he says: ”Had you been a doctor such and such an individual would not have been sick! Is it binding upon the Messengers to cure all the sick to the extent that not a single person in the world remains sick? Has anyone amongst the people harassed the Messengers with the likes of this harassment?!

And if the one who (seeks) to shame the Muslims is a Christian and from the worshippers of the cross, and (from those who worship) pictures depicted in a Fish and drawings on Roofs; then it is said to him:

”Are you not ashamed of the foundation of the belief in your Religion, that the Lord of the heavens and the earth descended from His Great Throne and entered into the vulva of a woman, who eats and drinks, urinates and defecates, menstruates and feels pain in her stomach. And then he stayed there for nine months between the faeces, urine, blood and menstrual discharges. Then he is placed in a swaddle or a bed, and whenever he cries his mother breast feeds him, and then he is placed in a school amongst the children. Thereafter, his affair became an issue of argumentation and contempt for the Jews. They pursued him and spit in his face. They placed a spiky crown on his head and a rod in his hand in order to belittle and violate his honour. Then they designated a special place for him to climb in order to put him to trial and were violent towards him. They tied him with ropes and nailed his two hands and feet, until he started screaming and cried for help, due to (exposure) to severe heat and the pain of crucifixion.

This (for you) is the one who created the heavens and the earth, portioned out provision and determined life-spans!; and yet his mercy and wisdom necessitated that his enemies saw it fit to harm him!; and his (mercy and wisdom) necessitated that he sacrificed himself in order to save his prophets, messengers and close friends!; because according to the Christians, the souls of Aadam, Ibraaheem, Nooh and all the prophets were captured in Iblee’s prison in the hell fire, up until they were freed from that prison through the crucifixion of the lord at the hand of his enemies.